Just in case you haven’t read about wind turbine electricity mills, here is a brief description. If you envision a plane propeller resting atop a tall tower, this is what a turbine looks like. Any time the wind blows the generator the blades make the rotor spin and the movement of the rotor forces the generator within the turbine crank out power. As with most types of power generators, magnets as well as copper wires are set up to create a charge when the rotor spins. It is a rather straightforward system.

There needs to be sufficient wind to move the blades for these power generators to generate electricity. The average height for wind turbines is 30 meters, which permits them to utilize the more powerful winds that happen at that height. The result of the stronger wind at that elevation is that the turbines generate more electricity. All of this would not matter if there was actually no wind from the beginning. Before an installation of turbines is built, detailed analysis of wind patterns for the planned site is reviewed. One excellent location is in coastal zones because there are typically consistent wind patterns in these areas. Of course, the wind can switch its direction which presents another drawback for wind turbines. A time tested design, adapted from the early wind powered water pumps, utilizes a tall fin to point the propeller directly into the wind, regardless of the direction it originates from.

Because of their efficient design, turbines can produce a lot of power that can be used for domestic or commercial applications. When there may be no wind, a battery backup set up is used to fulfill electrical needs. One concern is the number of years required for the installation charges to be recovered in power savings. A positive aspect of these turbines, compared to solar panels, is they do not call for sunlight. Wind turbines will be able to produce as much power at night as during the day, reducing the battery storage requirements in some cases. Another excellent thing about wind turbines is that they are eco-friendly as they produce zero pollution. The traditional sources of hydro, including nuclear reactors, create significant pollution that could be eliminated by turbines. Harnessing the power of the wind is utilizing a truly renewable resource. Hence there is always likely to be energy created by the turbines.

As with anything there are some disadvantages of utilizing wind turbines for energy. Their size makes them stand out, and some say they’re unattractive for this reason. When put in groups, such as the massive commercial installations in coastal areas and even out at sea, precisely where there are high winds, they are not really an attractive site. They are also very noisy due to the rotor creating sound as it moves. Another major concern that people have observed is that birds and bats (bats especially) often fly into them.

The justification stated for bats soaring into wind turbines is that the movement in the air disrupts their capability to hear and see with sonar. This will not happen often, but any time it does, it is unfortunate.

Considering the advantages and disadvantages of wind turbines, they have a lot going in their favor. They can play a major role in our upcoming energy plans if they are used carefully.Wind energy in west Texas, Wind Turbines